Wildlife Promise » Coal Trainhttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogTue, 31 Mar 2015 15:26:11 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.2Coal Train from the Powder River Basin Derailshttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/01/coal-train-from-the-powder-river-basin-derails/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/01/coal-train-from-the-powder-river-basin-derails/#commentsFri, 24 Jan 2014 18:12:26 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=90871Read more >]]>This past weekend, 19 coal cars derailed in Caledonia, Wisconsin. The 135-car train was carrying coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming to a power plant facility in Sheboygan, Wisconsin when it crashed, most likely due to cold temperatures. Fortunately this time there were no direct injuries, but tons of coal were spilled in the surrounding area and in order to start the clean up 40 trees had to be cleared to make room for the equipment.

Check out this raw footage taken at the scene of the crash which shows coal spilled all over the railways.

When accidents like this occur, the surrounding communities are disrupted and the wildlife that live in the area are put at risk. Just last week, a coal train accident in British Columbia left coal spilling into local streams and threatening endangered species like the western painted turtle. Wisconsin is home to some awesome wildlife species such as the red fox, bald eagle and the state animal, the badger. Loons’ distinct calls are an iconic piece of lakes across Wisconsin. Loons are already threatened by climate change and changes to water quality in Wisconsin lakes. A coal spill in theses water ways would be threatening to species like the loon that rely on clean water for survival.

You can keep up with more incidents like this and see if there has been a coal train derailment near you by checking out our coal derailment tracker map.

Well, there has been another coal accident. On Saturday, a train traveling through Burnaby, British Columbia derailed, likely due to rain. Nine cars caring coal came off the tracks and three coal cars were overturned completely, spilling coal into nearby Silver Creek(which flows into the Burnaby Lake).

Coal in the water system is a recipe for disaster for the wildlife species that live in and around the affected area. And the area of Burnaby where the spill occurred was an indicated “sensitive fish and wildlife habitat.” When a local newspaper, Burnaby NOW, investigated the spill, they found a number of wildlife species at risk:

The NOW observed blackened riverbanks upstream and downstream from the nesting area for the endangered Western painted turtle, and [Alan James of the Stoney Creek Environment Comitteee] pointed out that the lower portions of the Brunette are habitat for the Nooksack dace, a small endangered minnow found in only a few areas of the province. Black silt and large chunks of coal were spotted throughout the creek, which is home to spawning coho and chum, as well as cutthroat trout.

While this disaster is awful for wildlife, it is unfortunately not uncommon; there have been coal train derailments across the United States as well. Just this week, high winds derailed a train in the small community of Austin, Montana, outside Helena. Fortunately, these containers were empty but had they been carrying coal, it would have been an incredibly dangerous situation. You can see if there has been a coal train derailment near you by checking out our coal derailment tracker map.

A western painted turtle, one of the species threatened by the spill. Flickr photo by Dan Dzurisin.

With more coal extraction will come similar coal train accidents that harm wildlife and the surrounding communities. In the Powder River Basin, there are over a dozen proposed projects that have the potential to dramatically increase coal extraction and transportation. In this area, some of the most iconic species of the West are at risk. Elk, pronghorn, mule deer, sage grouse and the endangered black-footed ferret are all found around the Powder River Basin.

The coal spill in Burnaby is just another example of how dangerous this dirty fuel is to our wildlife, water systems, and communities, and further reinforces how important it is to stop the proposed mine projects in the Powder River Basin.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/01/coal-train-derails-and-spills-into-stream-in-british-columbia/feed/0Two More Coal Train Wrecks — The Epidemic Continueshttp://blog.nwf.org/2012/07/two-more-coal-train-wrecks-the-epidemic-continues/
http://blog.nwf.org/2012/07/two-more-coal-train-wrecks-the-epidemic-continues/#commentsTue, 17 Jul 2012 16:07:22 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=63541Read more >]]>Five different trains carrying coal have derailed in the past two and a half weeks. The most recent wrecks happened Sunday in Jefferson County, Kansas, and last Tuesday in Gibson County in southwestern Indiana. The former resulted in seven derailed cars from a Union Pacific train, and workers are still trying to clear the line.

In last week’s accident a Norfolk Southern coal train jumped off the track and then back on again, but not before enough coal spilled to cause three railroad crossings to be shut down, at least one road closure, and damage to the rails that required it to be shut down for several days. Both trains were carrying heavy loads from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin coalfields.

Coal trains have been involved in at least 5 wrecks this summer, causing damage and heartbreak around the country. (Photo: Ray Steup)

As you can imagine, coal train derailments can have widely varying impacts. Some are just material losses, like the one described above. Others are real tragedies, like the 31-car derailment on the 4th of July in a Chicago suburb, that involved a bridge collapse that killed two motorists driving underneath.

But even though the magnitude of damage from each one differs, they all lead to problems for the communities in which they happen.We also know that more derailments will occur if plans proceed to export more coal to Asia through the Pacific Northwest.

Is Coal a Coal Train’s Worst Enemy?

Coal, as it turns out, is pretty bad for trains, not just people and wildlife: Not only is the dispersal of toxic coal dust one of the biggest dangers of a derailment, coal dust can help cause accidents as well.

According to a statement on the website of BNSF (a major rail company), “Coal dust poses a serious threat to the stability of the track structure and…to the operational integrity of our lines in the Powder River Basin.”

After a multiyear investigation, BNSF found that coal dust buildup can prevent water from draining out of the tracks, leading to flooding, warping and sometimes derailment.

Extreme heat—like the record temperatures we’ve been experiencing this summer all over the country—worsens the problem.

According to railroad officials involved in the Illinois tragedy, “extreme heat created kinks in the rails and caused the derailment.”

The federal government just issued a safety advisory warning about the same thing, specifically referencing four coal train derailments this summer (and I learned a new term: “sun kinks” happen when a track expands and buckles in high heat). And because burning coal is a major contributor to climate change, some of the blame for warped rails goes here, too. Ironic, don’t you think? This reminds me of the expression, “if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

The coal companies don’t want to admit it, but it comes down to basic math: Extracting and transporting more coal means more train derailments, more coal dust on the tracks and in our communities, more hazardous coal waste at mining sites, more polluted rivers from blasting and runoff, more altered landscapes and more unhealthy people.

We need to find a better way to keep our lights on.

Please stay tuned for an upcoming NWF report that will delve into the issues around plans to export Powder River Basin coal to Asia. This will include dangers stemming from the massive increase in the number of trains that will be needed to bring the coal from the mines to port.

Train tracks already run along the Columbia. Tracks like these would carry the coal laden trains along the river. Photo: Bryn Fluharty

The Columbia River is a Pacific Northwest legacy. Its mighty waters have inspired songs like the Washington State folk song ‘Roll on, Columbia, Roll on,’ which brings lyrical majesty to the might of a river which provides our region with power, water and recreation.

Having lived in both Washington and Oregon I have many fond memories of the Columbia River. As a child I spent many a vacation paddling along its banks with my brother and scrambling along high cliffs which the river has carved out over a millennia. Recently, I have marveled at its beauty while crossing into Oregon and hiking and climbing through the scrub-land at its banks. I now fear that a new threat from the coal industry will compromise this area and spoil it for future generations.

A Growing Threat

This new threat comes from Arch Coal and Peabody Energy, who want to ship millions of tons of dirty coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and bring it to terminals in Washington and Oregon. Open bed trains full of coal and up to a mile-and-a-half long would wind their way along the Columbia each day on their way to ports along the Oregon and Washington Coast. These trains would leave trails of coal dust in their wake. This dust would settle over our lands and into our lungs causing health problems for local communities and the environment.

Port of Morrow

A serine evening on the Columbia in the Tri Cities, just upstream from the Port of Morrow. Photo: Bryn Fluharty

The Port of Morrow is one of the six proposed terminals. The EPA has stated this terminal “has the potential to significantly impact human health and the environment.” It is for this reason that they have asked the Corps of Engineers to do a thorough review of the consequences of coal export through ports here in the northwest.

The coal dust and diesel pollution from the trains are the main concerns. Coal dust from the trains settles on the water, soil and vegetation, harming species like endangered salmon. The salmon runs that are dependent upon the Columbia River are already endangered by habitat loss and would be further stressed from this pollution. Coal dust can have significant impacts on human health as well: lung damage, aggravation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, pneumoconiosis, bronchitis and emphysema are all possible results of breathing coal dust.

The Port of Morrow is only the first of the at least six proposed projects, all of which would have similar impacts to our region. If implemented these projects would scar this area, compromising the water and the air of an area that is part of our regional heritage.

Moving Forward

We must take a stand against coal and tell our decision makers that they must stop these projects and promote a healthy environment and healthy communities. If you live in Oregon please contact Governor Kitzhaber and tell him that you do not want dirty coal brought through your communities or you can Take Action through the National Wildlife Federation. You can also learn more about these projects and their possible impacts by attending the rally in Portland – May 7th, 12pm in Pioneer Square, featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.